Hold the peanuts: Food allergy sufferers’ guide to dining out

Trusting a restaurant\'s burger is soy or peanut free is impossible to know. This new dining tool helps food allergy suffers take a safe bite. (Courtesy Kaskus.us)

WASHINGTON – A website is taking the risk out of dining out for food allergy sufferers.

Eating at a restaurant with a food allergy can literally mean putting your life in your waiter’s hands. Often, those with food allergies avoid eating out since they don’t know whether the restaurant is taking their request seriously.

Allergy Eats is a free site started by a dad in Massachusetts whose three kids have severe reactions to peanuts, wheat and eggs. The site lets members share their experiences at restaurants across the country so that diners looking for a bite can know the restaurants they’re trying is safe.

Members have rated more than 600,000 restaurants — dozens of them in the D.C. area — based on how well they handle food allergy specific orders.

Allergy suffers can select from a list of common food allergies and then find restaurant recommendations known to cater to their specifications.